Tough day today for the fellas. Yep, no need to even look at the stats on this one. Penalties all game were a concern and the turnovers were the nail in the coffin, you might say.
I’m not telling this crew anything you don’t know or didn’t see. Can’t win with turnovers and penalties like we had so…easy analogy. You know the drill. Simple stuff in the world of the NFL.
I noticed it last week and so did you and the announcers in that Chris Simms just took longer to get his reads and that is what is hurting him right now. I thought we would start out with the run and bootlegs getting him out of the pocket and then see if he’d settle in but he never got settled and got pulled early.
Kyle Orton looked awesome when he came in and drove us down the field, until the turnover by Knowshon Moreno going into the end zone. Don’t know if you noticed, but he had both hands on it (covered up) and a lineman’s knee knocked it out tumbling over…weird fumble.
Short week, Giants coming to town and I’ll be there for the game, taking one of my little guys.
Guess this could be called bandwagon week. We’ll see who’s jumping off the bandwagon and who’s sticking it out, right? I know what the the writers at the papers will be doing…throwing rocks…watch.
Hey, let’s hang tough and keep our chins up. I really like this team.
Coopster
Tags: Denver Broncos, Postgame, San Diego Chargers, Week 11
I see the AFC West still open, were one game behind, plus the Chargers seem to follow a certain pattern: off to a slow start, wins several games, and that’s the end of them. Whatever happens in the next 6 games I see Denver either takes control of the AFC West
San Diego clinches a wild card spot
San Diego takes full control of the AFC West
Denver clinches a wild card spot
Roethlisberger out with a head injury for next week, so is their back up QB Batch(out 6 weeks). So the Steeler’s will more than likely have Jeff Garcia/Cleo Lemon behind center for at least one week depending on Big Ben’s status. Jacksonville still has to play Indy and NE so there’s nothing to worry about.
Have faith Broncos Country!
Big Ben hasn’t been ruled out yet.
Deify You,
Even if the Steelers get one of the wild card spots I still think the Broncos have a good chance to get the second spot (if they do not win the division). The other possible wildcard teams at this time are:
Baltimore -they falling fast and play the Steelers this weekend
Jacksonville
Houson
Those are the teams I see that are the main competition for the wildcard. That is how I see it, but after the upsets I saw over the weekend, who knows. Next weekend I will have a whole different take. LOL
The Broncos are still very much in the playoff mix!!!!!
One word to remember, Mcdaniel. If you pull the archives Coop before the season started I was the one who said we would be playing like we are right now. I don’t need go though the reasons we won 6 again. Yes the Broncos fans scolded me, doubted my love for the team but don’t shoot the messenger. I watched Mcdaniel get rid of a lot of talent where he shouldn’t have. Iv’e seen this before Ive been a fan since the 70′s the Broncos got me through the Gulf. I watched in the 90s, coaches come and go. Here we are again. I shake my head when I watch them play and I never miss a game. There was more than a fumble that cost a game yesterday. No one has mentioned the botched onside kick that shouldn’t have been done. If we would have got the ball I still would have a disagreed with it. The only thing that stunt proved was his desperation.
raidirhadr-We did’nt need to rebuild a whole team, just a defense. Mcdaniel gutted our offense, who was in the top 5 in the last 5 years. I have to rebuild a team every year. I don’t have the privilege of trades and drafts but I no talent when I see it. I truly don’t think our coach does.
In three years when the dust settles I will still be a Bronco fan. Hopefully with a new coach.
GO BRONCOS
All I know is that the Broncos better turn a whole lot of s*&^ around if they want to win ANY more games this season. They better take a good long look at themselves in the mirror and ask if the team that has taken the field for the past 5 weeks is who they really are (hopefully the answer is no), and fess up to how crappy they’ve been playing. Take RESPONSIBILITY, let it PASS, and START OVER. Don’t keep denying that there’s a problem or inventing excuses. Man up, take the problems by the horns, and toss them aside.
footballMANIAC , that’s quite a 180 you’re pulling regarding your outlook on the rest of the season, just two days ago you were all hand in hand with Mike Rice over the SD game not being a must win game, while I and Rocky and a couple others were trying to convince everyone otherwise. What happened?
We won’t win any games if we turn the ball over, commit penalties, look awful on offense, can’t stop the run, get beat on pass plays, and let players run freely at our quarterbacks…. or is we start Chris Simms. Yesterday was awful the only thing that went right was the Bears lost. Our draft pick is starting to look better from them.
Quick question why did we get Simms and pay him so much if JMAC had no confidence in him?
And why didn’t Brandstater get in the game when we had a hurt quarterback playing in the 4th quarter when the score was 26-3?
I don’t get it.
radeo, are you kidding me? LOL!
Look, I hate the losses just as much as the next fan! AND I too share your disspleasure with the on side kick. That was just plain out STUPID! It was 13 – 3 and 9 minutes left in the 3rd qtr. Our last 2 posessions (which happen to be Orton’s 1st two of the game) we drove right down the field.
BUT!
I gotta ask without any dissrespect. How do you watch a team go 6 – 0 putting up league leading stats defensively, beating teams like Bengals, New England and Dallas and say “There still bad”
Here’s my problem with this. There is no doubt there are problems with the team. I tend to think it’s more mental than anything. However, a case could be made that it might be talent in some areas as many suggest. It is just amazing to me the amount of people that jump off the wagon and come out of the wood work when things aren’t going well.
Now don’t get me wrong. I believe this blog should be used for positive as well as negative feedback. It’s a great blog for such topics. BUT, to come out here just to proclaim your theories of bad football when a team is on a 4 game losing streak is a little odd don’t you think? You would have really impressed me had you come on here when we were 1,2,3,4,5 and 6 – 0 and said this season is over! We suck! Here’s to next year! Glad we got a #1 draft pick from Chicago! blah, blah, blah…..
Instead, some people look for the “I told you so train” and try and sell tickets. Well, tell ya what. I’ll stay put. Does it mean I like the status of how the Broncos are playing? Not at all. However, I saw good football during the first 6 weeks. Not in every aspect but in many. Some where along the last 4 weeks, I believe the team stopped believing in what they can accomplish as a TEAM. I do believe that can be regained but they have to want to accomplish such a task.
Focus. Focus on penalty reduction. Focus on ball control. Focus on assignments. Focus!
Sorry for the length, but this team can play and it is over flowing with talent and leadership. Now whether it can come together for the remaining 6 weeks will remain to be seen. I believe it can but me believing won’t put a “W” in the wins/losses column!
Keep the faith COUNTRY!
GO GET EM’ BOYS!
radeo – McD has a lot of work ahead of him and he is the coach so most of our problems will end up on his shoulders as it should because he is the coach. He’s made some mistakes and its gone on too long but you’re putting ALL the blame on him. This is a TEAM sport… don’t you get that? The players need to put in full effort into each practice & game just as much as McD. If you want to play this blame game… go blame Bowlen cuz he’s the one who brought in a new coach. I hated the initial idea cuz I was stuck on Shanny but this is OLD, very old news. We have a new coach so deal with it. Personally, I like McD a lot. He’s young, he’s talented but he’s not perfect.
You didn’t name any names but McD didn’t screw up our offense by getting rid of a certain somebody who is now in Chicago and can we please move on from that trade???? Mr. “you know, you know” is still a very INT happy QB… prime example the game last night against Philly. He had what many would call a “perfect” game up till the very last play. How did the game end? Cutler threw another INT. Bottom line: McD did not screw up our offense or the team in any way. He has a system of his own and its something new and fresh… something that this team needed. A whole new system that will take time to adjust to. If we get another new coach in 3 years, we’ll go through this all over again. Adjusting to a new coach and his new system. McD may be the coach but if he’s a going to grow to be a great one over the years, he’ll learn from his mistakes and find a way to fix them. He can be a coach and still be a student and learn something from the other coaches & players.
Now granted, they have made WAAAAY too many mistakes in the past 4 games and they have only piled up as the weeks come. Penalties & turnovers are our biggest and deadliest enemies. The team has let these things come back to haunt them constantly in our 4 losses. These 2 things are the only thing we’ve been consistent at… unfortunately. The onside kick, I agree, was a dumb move. Another mistake. If the game was tied later in the game, I can see why he would’ve done that but that’s not how the story went. I don’t know how many losses its going to take for them to get the picture and get better but something will have to give sooner or later. I’m hoping that with the pressure of 3 days to prepare for the Giants, that pressure will wake them up; force them to take a good look at the team and realize they can’t keep playing like this.
It doesn’t matter how long you’ve been a fan. It doesn’t matter if you were right or wrong. Our problems aren’t about who’s right, who’s wrong and why… bottom line is they have a pile of problems as high as Mt. Everest that they need to fix by Thursday night so they can come out in full force and be ready to fight for this win. They are capable of it. They just have to decide how badly they want to stop our losing streak. No one can make that decision but them, as a TEAM.
Keep the faith Bronco Country…
GO BRONCOS!!!!
Just heard a rumor that Jeff Garcia is possibly heading to Denver. Something about a backup spot. This is from a friend that just heard it on the radio, so take it with a grain of salt, but intriguing none-the-less!
07, about the onside kick you say” If the game was tied later in the game, I can see why we would of done that” you must of meant if we were down by 14 late in the game… no other scenario to really onside kick on, it’s a desperation type of play to use only when it’s too late with too many points down to give the ball back to the opponent’s offense with a regular kick off, or the only other time would be if you want to catch a team by surprise at any time in the game, which is what he did.
All I’m gonna say is really. Talking trash to players really??? YOUR THE HC and you talking trash to the players?
For all those getting on Marshall about Fumshawn. When Marshall was fumbling alot of players got on him on the sideline. Cameras were to busy looking at Shanny. I don’t care if youy run into the ref and fumble. It’s your fault! When someone walking around on the sideline acting like it’s not their fault. I’m glad someone got on him. After that they kept showing the sideline. Noone except Orton and Marshall had a since of urgency on their face. Till we lost now everyone feels it. Wasn’t stupid penalties, nonchalantness, status quo on players and coaches. Last yr was why we got a new coach?? Samething going on now. This isn’t college. You can blame this on the other coaches players. Talking bout you need the right players to run your system. No excuse!!!
What do you guys think will happen to Chriss Simms? I don’t see him ever fitting into our offence no matter how many snaps he gets. our O line just isn’t set up for a lefty. I was also surprised that Brandstater wasn’t put in in the fourth quarter. I guess only Coach McD knows.
Orton looked as good as ever in my book, but, as already stated there were WAY too many mistakes! If we didn’t turn the ball over on the first drive I think the game would have had a different tune. I’m looking forward to Thursday and I think we can beat the Giants!
Go Broncos!!!!!
can someone tell me what happen between shawn merrigurl and coach McD
The line is built for any armed QB. Ryan Harris is hurt. He is all- worldly on the otherside. I seen Orton play worst and not get pulled. So that is MCD to make excuse about. They threw Chris under the bus. That’s plain and clear to me. So you want me to believe that Tyler was not exposed like that in practice?? I haven’t seen Moss in on Regular D plays most of the year. So why was he their yesterday??? He was dogging the right tackle all last week. So MCD should and did know what was gonna happen.
Tom is not in the game cus he is not ready. IF he was you think he would not be playing?? A hurt Orton is a better option than him. He is a 5th round pick QB. NOt wr, rb, o-line, d-line, or cb. HE”S A QB 5TH RD. lol ya’ll kill me with that. Thinking he is a savior. wake up.
I don’t see Garcia coming here cuz he does not fit Mc Ds system. He is moble and a west coast offense guy and a bit of a gunslinger.I would take him over Simms any day.I agree w/ alot of you on the draft picks and not playing certain players. If you hire a guy who is great at what he does, let him do it his way.(Denison, Taylor) They learned from the best(Gibbs)other wise don’t hire them. I do think Mc D is sometimes his worse enemy. I still wished we would of hired Fraizer and keep all the O coaches, but it does not matter what we think. It is tough being a Bronco fan now. Everyone wants to rumb it in . When we were 6-0 no one said zip. I live in Viking county and it really sucks to him them talk stuff when they have the Jr Varsity schedule and get lucky cuz the other teams kicker misses or a lucky catch & throw and they would be 7-3. I just hope we don’t get embarassed on thursday on national tv. GO BRONCOS!!! Show some pride and heart!!
It eas not Merriman. It was Phillips.. The one who made Simms fumble. McD walked by them while they were streching. He(Phillips) said Didn’t think we would be tied after last time did you. All the other player on the chargers started laughing. McD said after today we won’t be tied. We own ya’ll. REALLY????
stretching*
Bay – I know its a play of desperation that’s why I said that IF the score was tied late in the game, then I can see why an onside kick might have been used. I totally see the disagreement in the decision to do an onside kick when it happened. It did make us look desperate, which I’m sure they were but it also made us look like we weren’t sure about what we were doing. They looked very unfocused and lazy, and their play on the field showed it. I get the picture… not so sure the team does.
Keep the faith Bronco Country…
GO BRONCOS!!!!
By the way McD if you do give Hillis another shot don’t set him up to fail.
If we needed a CB. Why didn’t we go for Mcallister?? He is younger than LAW. Plus he ran and knows Nolan’s system. Yeah something weird about that.
baylinorcrush: I first blog didn’t go thru. I must of said something they didn’t like. Any way I was saying that I agree with you about McD not playing Hillis enough. He got on McD’s black list for a fumble he made in the first game of the season. Moreno has fumbled at least 5 times at critical times of the game & he is still playing. Hillis is a better blocker & receiver than Moreno. True it wasn’t just the fumble that lost the game, it was to many mistake & penalities. So I feel that he should give Hillis another shot. To Nolan, you better start preparing defense better because at times they looked confused.
#1 I totally agree about McCallister. That guy was good . The Great Rod Smith once said that McCallister was the best corner he went agaist. Ty Law is old and not what he use to be. Another bad move.
uub:
If your comment was directed at me I was talking about giving TB a couple of reps after the game was already out of hand. I just want to see what he can do. And your right; Harris was a big loss. Does anyone know when he’s coming back?
Giving TB the 4th quarter would of made too much sense. All this Simms needs the reps is garbage. He had mini camp, preseason, practice etc.. Alex Smith came in for SF at hafttime agaist the Texans and threw 3 tds and he did not play for over a year.Simms is a bust!!
and that bust doesn’t belong in Canton… LOL
I’m going to have faith that at worst our boys in blue and orange will make it to the playoffs as a wild-card. let’s not forget that we can still win this division. San Diego loses a couple and we win a couple and we are division champs, so don’t hang your heads yet. Big test against the G men this Thurs. Broncos historically play very well on Thanksgiving, so let’s get behind them for this game and forget last week. It’s over, move on!!!
Mc D should run the wild horses more since Hillis ran it in college, But wait that would mean Hillis would play more and that would make too much sense. Cleveland scored more this week than we did in our last 4 games combined. Very sad.
Bronco Nation:
I should have never gone out for the Beer! It’s gone and the hangover is still here. I also was very wrong on Simms being ready. Bye the time the game was over I was scouting NY but could not read to well!!-LOL. Lost the football pool at work cuz of my Broncos and the hated faders and KC. My own division and I looked like a fool>> Boy did I get an ear full. Anyways could not figure out the on side kick play so early. But I do not make those calls McD does and I only have to watch it and go Huh? Coop good post and hope you and your little guy get to see a win on turkey day. Lots to be throwing rocks about for some writers and so called experts. I say lets take motivation as fans on taking revenge on NY for two reasons:
1. Super Bowl XXI: The Broncos went into the Super Bowl in Pasadena as underdogs facing the New York Giants. Throughout the first half the Broncos clearly outclassed the Giants, but only held a 10-9 lead. The Broncos had two drives stall deep in Giants territory, and made things worse when Kicker Rich Karlis missed two short Field Goal Attempts. The Broncos missed opportunities would catch up them as the Giants scored 24 unanswered points in the first 20 minutes of the second half. The Broncos would never recover, as the Giants claimed the Super Bowl with a 39-20 victory.
2. 1998: With rumors floating that Quarterback John Elway would retire at season’s end the Broncos get off to an incredible 13-0 start, sewing up the AFC West title in November. Among the highlights of the quick start is Jason Elam’s 63-yard kick on October 25th that ties the NFL record for longest Field Goal. With everyone looking forward to a Monday Night showdown in Miami with the Dolphins undefeated legacy on the line the Broncos drop their first game in New York the Giants 20-16.
We are eating early so we can take a nap and then watch our Broncos beat NY. And I for one am thankful to be 6-4 when I did not even expect 5 wins.
GO BRONCOS and happy turkey day to all!!
FTR
I know baylin living in the past is not good! But sure can make me look for modavation maybe the team needs a History leason. Early prediction Denver 21 Giants 17.
FTR
Sorry boys but I can only remember 1 win agaist the Giants since i have been a bronco fan.1992 or 93 at Mile High. We have lost the other 5 games . All but the superbowl were very close.
I don’t even know where to start…hopefully as I write this Simms is cleaning out his locker. A three day old baby kitten with it’s eyes still closed could see Simms has never been a QB.
I would’nt mind the idea of taking a look at Garcia. The guy is a warrior on the field. And he has a SMOKIN” HOT wife!
As for the onside kick…if we had covered the ball, we would’nt be having this conversation. And it may have changed the momentum of the game.
But it does’nt matter, I witnessed a team that had ZERO disclipine! Stupid dumb headed penalties killed us! That’s Raiders football!
And what’s really funny…where’s everyone from a few days ago saying that this game really was’nt a necessary win? Hmmmm?
FTR, I wasn’t going to say anything, but since you address me, I went to that Giants superbowl and I stopped in Vegas on the way there and got 10 and a half points on the Broncos and layed down 20 $100 bills, those were my last heavy betting days. LOL. Anyhow, spent five days around Disneyland, went to all the bronco parties with all the crazies and bought tickets outside the stadium like 4 hours before the game for $400 a piece, cheap today, very expensive back then. At halftime I was sitting pretty with that one point lead and 10 and a half points to spare, then doomsday starting to settle down on me and I watched our Broncos being manhandled, lose that lead and finally my 10 and a half points and my money. Hardest game I have ever had to experience in my Bronco life. Spent nearly $5,000 that week! Anyhow, a couple hours later having absorbed the loss and realizing after spending all that money, we might as well, this buddy and I, spend the evening having fun, so we hooked up with Giants fans all night and partied out around town with them until it didn’t hurt any longer. I guess you can see why I don’t like to revisit that game too much, but hey, you can’t win them all. LOL. And some of these young kids here think they have it tough with these losses… I have learned to keep it in perspective, been through hell and back. LOL.
I dont think the injury was very serious to Orton because i mean if it was really serious you wouldnt even suit him up hed be wearing a hoodie walking maround on the sidelines he looked no different then when hes healthy hes not very mobile so even when hes healthy he looks like hes runnign around on 2 bad legs so i thing everybodys making to big a deal about him being injured…im not buying it
We flat out got outplayed by san diego plain in simple in every way…Turnovers and penaltites especially in the rd zone killed us fumblems orton should’ve had 3 or 4 int’s but the defense dropd em way way to many…short week agianst the giants and looking at this game what’s the giants main weakness???? Its secondary they get beat alot downfield but if you dont got a vertival passing game like we dont they can be dominant…….still 6-4 so the season is no where close to over still got 6 games i see us haveing to win 4 of the last 6 to get into the playoffs so lets go out and get it done!
GO BRONCOS!!!!!!!
The Broncos let this one slip out of their hands and did not show up to play. The defense still played good, but the defense can only do so much before wearing down. Three and outs fumbles interceptions and so forth hurt the defense and really turn the tide of momentum period. The Broncos defense is going to be alright if the Broncos offense gives them a rest and second of all Chargers are done their defense is aweful they allow like over twenty points a game and they will lose against the cowboys and they maybe lose against the skins only because the skins have a great defense and a great running game just as the cowboys. They also have to play against the chiefs again and they will lose because the chiefs will play hard just as they did against the steelers. If Broncos beat the Giants the momentum switches and we will start our winning ways again. If we lose I just don’t know what to suspect. Either Way—
GO BRONCOS.
Wow Baylin did not mean to bring up bad mojo. But sounds like you at least made the best of it. I was only thinking you would remind me not to live in the past. I was at the Washington SB paid for by my brother so I can relate. Elway’s first pass was a TD and then we made a no name running back famous in Super Bowl XXII: Playing in the Super Bowl for the second straight year the Broncos faced the Washington Redskins in San Diego. The Broncos took control early taking a 10-0 lead in the first five minutes. However, a stunning 35-point lashing by the Redskins in the 2nd Quarter doomed the Broncos to their third Super Sunday loss. The Redskins would go on to win going away 42-10 as the Broncos, and John Elway got the reputation of losing the big one. 35 in one Quarter!!
We ended up at the Hotel bar drowning our woes.
FTR
well, we can always hope for a wild-card
Back to Back loss’s then Back to Back wins. Go figure. Broncos>Got to love em or leave em.
FTR
Wow! A fan wanting their team to lose the rest of the game in the season… OK!!!!! Just for the record, we get the Bears 1st round pick next year. Broncos traded their 1st next year to Seattle for A. Smith.
I sound like a broken record, but maybe all the fans at the game on Thursday should chant… “Play Hillis” … I just don’t get why he continuously sits on the bench.
stop the negativity here, we will turn this around, we have a lot of leaders on this team and three afc west games we should win. were still right in the wild card race and have a pretty good conference record at 5-3, we can do it. ortons will start and i guarantee moreno holds on to the ball this week.
RockyMts69
Your right on my man! But do not feed the trolls.
FTR
Cool FTR, we got a couple superbowls between us. About the other year you mentioned we lost to the Giants after starting the season 13-0, I have a story about that too. I lived in Pensacola, Florida that year and around the 8th game of the season everyone started mentioning the 72 Dolphins because we were that good then and it was very probable we could go all the way into the 15th game of the season against the Dolphins undefeated so that game was taking a huge historical proportion, so I booked a hotel room with my wife on South Beach in Miami for that week end, and it was just before christmas so we would hit two birds with one stone, vaca and Broncos. Anyhow, as you said, the week before we got beat by the Giants, so it ruined the whole build up for the Dolphins game, but being a vacation we still went, I had already purchased the tickets, so we saw the dolphins riding the Broncos to a second straight loss on what was a Monday night football game. In South Beach, on a ocean strip sports bar for lunch on the same Monday, I met our linebacker Glenn Cadrez and I got a picture taken with me and he signed one of my Bronco golf shirt, which I have since retired. This game has better memories for me because of South Beach and we went on to win our 2nd superbowl.
I’am off to spy on NY.
Go Broncos
FTR
Call me a homer, but I had too watch this team LOSE four Super Bowls before we ever won one!
I guess some people think firing the HC will solve everything. How about if Bowlen sells the team to China, they re-name the stadium Wal-Mart at a Mile High, and out source the front office to a firm over India??? Then we can start drafting players out of NFL Europe and our franchise QB will be from Bosnia!
Some people just don’t get it!!!
Yeah It would have been nice to be at that game vs the Dolphins at 15-0 Might have been> The best Monday night football game of all time!! South Beach is a trip all in its own. LOL
FTR
Rocky, all of us old farts had to watch 4 SB losses before we could win one. We were tied with Minnesota for most losses in the SB without a win, then Buffalo joined us, then we departed that dubious distinction which the Bills and the Vikings hold to this day.
bay…I’m not old, just well seasoned and experienced!
FTR, correct, we also finished that trip in Key West, another trip all on it’s own, I highly recommend it.
Rocky, I was 23 for the Dallas SB, how old were you?